About

About Dantia

Dantia’s ultimate aim is to increase jobs and attract investment in Lake Macquarie.

Vision

Lake Macquarie City is recognised as a competitive, prosperous and dynamic regional economy where innovation, investment and business enterprises thrive and are welcome.

Mission

Dantia will work with business, government, the community and partners to advance the sustainable economic prosperity of Lake Macquarie City.

Values and principles

Strive for economic growth

Collaborate with all stakeholders

Embrace innovation and change

Lead the conversation on economic development

Be inclusive and transparent

Provide networks and pathways for success

Comply with best practice in corporate governance

Objectives

develop and implement a range of initiatives to attract investment and new businesses to Lake Macquarie City;

market and promote the City as a regional city, as a regional business centre and its attractions for investment;

represent and promote the interests of local businesses, commercial and industrial landowners and developers, the community and social infrastructure establishments as they relate to employment growth and new investment;

develop and facilitate implementation of a range of initiatives to support the growth of local businesses;

facilitate partnerships with State and Commonwealth agencies, business and learning organisations and attract investment in the City by them; and

encourage support and assist government and industry in the adoption of policies which enhance the competitiveness of the businesses in the City and create employment opportunities.

Dantia has identified four strategic drivers that will help shape and drive the City’s future local economy: identity, investment, infrastructure and innovation.

Sandra Hutton, Deputy Chair

Senior Town Planner/Associate, ADW Johnson

Sandra is Senior Town Planner/Associate with urban planning consultancy ADW Johnson and was the Lake Macquarie representative on the Joint Regional Planning Panel for six years.

Sandra, with a Bachelor of Urban & Regional Planning (Hons 1), has 20+ years’ experience in land use planning, balancing development with strong urban design principles and social outcomes. She has a reputation of being able to interpret and give practical application to understanding sites, their capabilities and land use opportunities. She has been involved in a range of key development projects in Lake Macquarie including Caves Beachside Resort, Murrays Beach, Trinity Point, Lake Macquarie Airport and numerous mixed-use and multi-storey developments in Charlestown, Warners Bay, Belmont and Cardiff town centres.

Sandra joined Dantia to be part of and contribute towards the positive initiative shown by Lake Macquarie City to give economic development an independent voice with a city-wide perspective.

Darren Glover, Company Secretary

Director and Client Service Partner, Evolution Advisers

Darren is a Director and Client Service Partner of innovative, high-performing business, Evolution Advisers. His experience in financial services, as a Chartered Accountant enabling businesses to achieve sustainable growth, combined with his understanding of investment strategies, brings valuable skills to the Board.

Darren is also a Director on the inaugural Trustee Board for the Lake Macquarie Foundation, which benefits charities and not-for-profit organisations in the City.

Darren joined Dantia as a board member in 2014 to help realise Lake Macquarie’s enormous potential.

Dianne Allen, Director

Deputy Chancellor, University of Newcastle’s Council

Dianne is a lifelong resident of Lake Macquarie and has spent most of her career working as a chartered accountant in public practice including operating her own firm for more than 15 years.

Dianne has over 20 years’ boardroom experience with government owned corporations and not-for-profit entities. She currently holds a number of board and advisory positions with organisations throughout the Hunter region including the roles of Deputy Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, Chair of Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee at Lake Macquarie City Council and member of Audit and Risk Committee with Hunter New England Local Health District.

Dianne’s extensive financial experience and capacity to navigate and lead change means she is a key asset to the Dantia Board.

Councillor Kay Fraser, Director

Mayor of Lake Macquarie City

Kay Fraser was popularly elected as Mayor of Lake Macquarie City in September 2016. She has lived in Lake Macquarie for more than 40 years and is serving her fourth term on Lake Macquarie City Council.

Kay is committed to making Lake Macquarie a great place to live, work and visit, building on its superb natural assets of lake, mountains, bushland and sea, its unique sense of community and its growing, fast-evolving regional economy.

In her role as a Director on the Dantia board, Kay is focused on building a strong local economy with diverse employment opportunities for the citizens of Lake Macquarie.

Morven Cameron, Director

Chief Executive Officer, Lake Macquarie City Council

As the CEO of Lake Macquarie City Council, Morven is passionate about local government and finding new ways to lead and progress one of the largest regional cities in NSW.

Fundamental to Morven’s success is her ability to think strategically and look for innovative solutions. Recognising that economic development needed a unique approach and commercial expertise, Morven was instrumental in the creation of Dantia in 2014, setting up the company to rapidly accurate growth, drive investment and increase jobs in the region.

Scott Williams, Director

Chief Executive Officer, Belmont 16s

Scott is a hospitality management specialist with over 25 years of experience in senior management positions within the hospitality and service sector. He was raised in Lake Macquarie and undertook his schooling in the Eastlakes area before studying commerce at the University of Newcastle. Scott also holds post graduate qualifications from CPA Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He has a broad network to draw on from in his roles as State President – Newcastle and Hunter Region for ClubsNSW and Chairman of the Lake Macquarie Liquor Accord.

As the CEO of Belmont 16s, Scott has overseen numerous developments during his tenure and watched Lake Macquarie diversify and grow. Scott sees the huge potential of Lake Macquarie and is keen to continue to play a role in the City’s transformation.

Tim Williams, Director

Principal, Cities Leader Australasia, Arup

Having been a special advisor on housing, urban regeneration and planning to five successive senior UK ministers, Tim is now recognised as one of the world’s leading urban renewal thinkers and practitioners.

Tim is a graduate of Cambridge, has a PGCE from Oxford, a Ph.D from Wales and was called to the Bar by the Inner temple. Since coming to Australia in 2010 Tim has quickly become one of the country’s leading city thinkers and has shaped Sydney as the CEO of the Committee for Sydney as well as in his role as Cities Leader for Australasia at Arup.

Tim has written significant reports on housing, urban renewal and the digital economy and is increasingly focussed on the national cities discussion, in particular because of his role on the Australian Government Cities Reference Group.

Tim brings a wealth of experience and world-leading perspective on urban renewal, digital transformation and city development to the Dantia Board and will play an important role in ensuring Lake Macquarie’s economic prosperity.

Wayne Lowe, Director

National Executive Strategic Partnerships, The Link Group

Wayne has founded and run a number of successful financial services companies using his skills as a qualified accountant and experienced superannuation professional, and is currently National Executive, Strategic Partnerships within the Top 100 ASX listed company being the Link Group.

Wayne is also a Director of the Lake Macquarie Foundation, Hunter Founders Forum and the Hunter Angels Trust, supporting local businesses and charitable causes in Lake Macquarie and the greater Hunter Region.

A local resident and business owner, Wayne has lived in Lake Macquarie with his family for 18 years, is an avid sports follower, enjoys supporting his daughters with their sporting and lifestyle passions and boating on Lake Macquarie with family and friends.

As a founding member of the Dantia Board, Wayne is passionate about building a dynamic city which capitalises on Lake Macquarie’s strategic and natural assets enabling business and families to thrive.

Peter Francis – Chief Executive Officer

Peter Francis commenced as Lake Macquarie Economic Development Company’s CEO in April 2017.

Peter most recently worked at Port of Newcastle. As Executive Manager Trade and Business Development he was a member of the executive team that delivered the 27x earnings sale of the asset. He oversaw the diversification of port business introducing new capabilities for fuel, grain and project cargo, defence and commercial ship building, secured funding for a cruise terminal, completed transactions for a container terminal and over 100 other commercial leases.

He was General Manager of GPT’s Charlestown Square from 2003 to 2011, where he successfully led the tenants, customers and community throughout the 2010, award winning $470m redevelopment. From 2011-12 he managed GPT’s Rouse Hill Town Centre. He held executive positions at Blacktown Olympic Park and Centennial Park and Moore Park, two of Sydney’s premier sport and recreation asserts. Peter is a consistent performer who has delivered results based on the triple bottom line philosophy.

Peter holds a Master of Business General Management, a Graduate Diploma of Management and BA. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and NSW Real Estate Licensee.

Peter is an accomplished executive who has spent the last 17 years managing and facilitating the development of complex commercial and community property assets to create positive economic, social and environmental change for the mutual and sustainable benefit of community, customers and shareholders.

Derrek Lush – Development Executive

Derrek joined Dantia in 2015 direct from the private sector where he held senior strategy, business improvement, and program management appointments in both the private and public sectors, working closely with senior stakeholders across Australasia, Europe, the United States, and United Kingdom. Before his successful transition to the private sector Derrek served for over a decade as an Officer in the Australian Defence Force, leading organisations on operations and in disaster relief. Choosing to focus on technology and transformational projects Derrek was posted to the ADFs Capability Development Group successfully managing a $3.5 billion portfolio of programs across infrastructure, facilities, weapons systems, communication technology, training systems and vehicles. Derrek holds a Master of Management Studies from the University of New South Wales School of Business and is a graduate of the Royal Military College Duntroon. With a breadth of private and public sector experience, and as a local resident Derrek is highly dedicated, motivated, and uniquely equipped to help Dantia facilitate a platform for sustainable economic growth in Lake Macquarie City.

Deb Aitchison -Operations and Administration Coordinator

As Dantia’s Operations & Administration Coordinator, Deb Aitchison actively contributes to the achievement of our strategic objectives by anticipating and actioning the operational, research and reporting needs of the business, executives and cross functional team. Deb has extensive career experience in office, event and project management with the ability to work intuitively and to proactively build effective business relationships. Prior to joining the Dantia team in December 2017, Deb held a contract with the NSW Department of Industry as an Executive Assistant. Previous roles also include eight years at Wyong Shire Council working directly for the Chief Executive Officer and Operations Coordinator/PA at Mirvac. Deb is also a business owner, providing social media and virtual business solutions. Deb has a passion for business and continuous improvement and is very much looking forward to helping facilitate growth in the Lake Macquarie area by connecting business, community, industry and government.

Dantia Story

Prosperity means different things to different people, but it is universally defined as ‘doing well’. The normal context is financial, but prosperity can be interpreted more broadly as ‘living well’. We have chosen the name Dantia, a derivative of Abundantia, the Roman goddess of abundance and prosperity, to represent what is required for economic growth: access to and protection of resources (abundance) and satisfactory financial returns coupled with the pleasurable attributes and sustainable lifestyle of the City (prosperity).